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WORDS CHRIS BEANLAND, STEPHANIE YIP |PHOTO ©MEDIASERVER.HAMBURG.DE/C. SPAHRBIER, DIDIER GUY
LILLE/BRUSSELS
Despite the growing popularity of cava
and prosecco, many still believe that
nothing but the French bubbly will do.
For these folk (and, yes, the rest of us),
La Route du Champagne weekend
of 4-5August is a little piece of
heaven. More than 20 top producers
– including Demilly, Drappier, Favier
Hubert and Cheq Gaston – in villages
around the famous Champagne
triangle will open their doors for free
tastings. Buy a special-edition flute for
€10 fromone of the visitor centres –
that’s your key to try a snifter of their
wares – and you’re off on a tasting
adventure. By night there are dinners,
dances and live music too.
2012.routeduchampagne.com
La Route du
Champagne
HAMBURG
It might be Europe’smost
raunchy destination but for one
weekend, on 20-22 September,
the Reeperbahn – and the St
Pauli district around it – will
become the centre of a cool
arts-and-music celebration. The
Reeperbahn Festival showcases
bohemian culture through spoken
word, comics, films, talks and
exhibitions, while by night there
are gigs by hot, upcoming bands
in the venues along the legendarily
debauched strip. It confirms what
the citizens of Hamburg already
know: that theirs is one of the
most cutting-edge, coolest cities
in northern Europe.
reeperbahnfestival.com
Reeperbahn Festival
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
TRAVELLER
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35
THE BUZZ
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TRAVEL NEWS
BOOK AHEAD
Planning a trip over the
next fewmonths?Make a
note in your diary and get
to one of these events
Benicassim Festival
JULY
BARCELONA
Whatever else you’re up to this
summer, be sure to save 12-15 July
for partying with the hordes at
Benicassim. Those who have been
to this four-day music festival say
it’s Europe’s best and this year they
might be right. An impressive line-up
has already been confirmed, with Bob
Dylan, reformed Manchester band
The Stone Roses, Florence and the
Machine and Noel Gallagher booking
out the main stage, andmore names
pending.What makes it really special,
however, is the setting: when things
hot up in the crowds, just pop along to
the beach and cool down in the Med.
benicassimfestival.co.uk